Bullet Lube

Smoke & Recoil · September 4, 2008, 04:54 PM

Gathering Opinions What is your favorite lube for real black powder
and black powder substitution. Example...38-40, 45 long colt etc.

mikenbarb · September 4, 2008, 07:42 PM

In my percussion and flintlock, I like the bore butter. It works great for me. Otherwise I think the ALOX should work good.

snuffy · September 4, 2008, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Otherwise I think the ALOX should work good.

Nope! Alox is based on a petroleum grease, it would form a tar that's very hard to dissolve/remove from barrels. Keep ANY type of petro lube away from real BP.

Good BP lube will contain vegetable oil, sometimes in an emulsion with water. It keeps the fouling soft and easily dissolved by water.

AlaskaMike · September 5, 2008, 11:51 AM

I don't shoot BP, but the most common bullet lube I hear about for it is SPG.

Mike

Ohio Rusty · September 5, 2008, 03:20 PM

I use real bears oil rendered from bears fat. That has been the best I've found for my flintlock rifles the last few years. This is of course is lube for cloth patches and round ball. I used to have a T/C hawken in .50 caliber. Bore butter worked fine with it for Maxi-ball conicals, and it also worked well in my cap-n-ball revolvers.
I lean toward doing things historically accurate, or as accurate as I can get. The old ways worked for them, and they still work well today. We sometimes have to find alternatives as some things are no longer available for use .... like sperm whale oil, or spermacetti candles, etc.
Ohio Rusty ><>

kraigwy · September 5, 2008, 03:33 PM

I've tried about everything for bullet lubes. From homemade to just about every thing on the market. I have found the Lee lube that you roll the bullets in is the best to prevent leading with soft leads in pistols in Rifles.

Black powder is a bit differant. You need to leave the barrel moist. I still use Lee Lube on the bullets but I use a wad over the powder and a bit of homemade lube between the wad an the bullet. The lube I make, (got from the NRA many years ago), is a mixture of 1lb of para. wax, one lb of vasoline, and one tea spoon of RCBS case lube (or half a teaspoon of STP). I shoot lead bullets and black powder in my 1895 Browning 45-70 and my Remington Rolling Block in 44-90 Sharps Bottleneck.

Smoke & Recoil · September 5, 2008, 05:31 PM

[B]ALL OF YOUR POST[B]. All of these opinions are looking very interesting...Please keep them coming in, I appreciate each and every one

.

Smoke & Recoil

Hawg · September 5, 2008, 09:09 PM

I make my own out of beeswax and Crisco. You do not want to use any petroleum products in the bore or chambers of a bp gun unless you want to make a chore out of an otherwise easy clean.

Gewehr98 · September 12, 2008, 12:55 AM

The rule is non-petroleum lubes for BP - unless you want to clean tar and hard black fouling out of your barrel after just a couple of rounds. I made that mistake once and will never do so again.

Over the last several years, I've been using beeswax and lard, or beeswax and Crisco, in my black powder cartridge loads that I run through my 32" Sharps. I make sure my bullets have several deep lube grooves, at least 4, then they go through my ancient Lyman #45 lubrisizer and get gooped up. I honestly believe you cannot have too much bullet lube when shooting BP. Why? You want to keep your BP fouling moist and soft, and if you run out of lube during the bullet's travel down the barrel you'll soon regret it.

A good test to see if you're doing the right thing with your BP bullet lube is look at the muzzle for a "lube star". If it's there, you have enough. If not, you may be experiencing some fouling in the last inch or two of your barrel - and that's no fun at all.

Jim Watson · September 12, 2008, 08:26 AM

I use SPG on my own bullets. I recently bought some Montana Custom Casting with DGL, which looks awful similar.

A friend mixed up a couple of different Internet Recipes. One, based on lanolin and beeswax, is ok. The other is pretty sad and is going mostly for casting flux.

noelf2 · September 12, 2008, 08:55 AM

Various mixtures of bees wax, parrafin wax, and tallow (usually mutton or goat). I like to add a bit more bees wax if I know I'll be using hotter loads. I soak the melted mixture into felt patches that are under the round ball, or into the grease grooves of bullets. When I'm loading BP cartridges with round ball, I'll put some of the same lube over the ball at the edge of the cartridge mouth as well.

Smoke & Recoil · September 12, 2008, 03:50 PM

I am really fascinated by each and every reply on this thread thus far.
I never thought that I would see so many great ideas, please keep
shooting them in. Thank you, all.

REDTAIL · September 19, 2008, 01:14 AM

other than midway usa does any one know of a place to buy motor mica which is fine like powder, looks like graphite but its white, checked out every thing on the web sites, this stuff is produced either in India & China they must have a huge supply of Mica, but no where in the USA can you find a company that has it for sale other than midway usa, they sell it in 1lb containers for $23.00 I was looking for a place that would sell it in 5lb lots for much less than what midway is charging,this mica powder has manny fine uses for lub purposes, like for dusting your reloading dies and sprinkle it on your cast bullets etc. So if anyone on the forum knows where I can buy this motor mica i would appreciate your leads thanks, by the way Brownell's, Napa auto parts, home depot, lowes etc checked them all out no dice

snuffy · September 19, 2008, 01:47 AM

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/

They sell it for dusting shotshell wads, but it too is in ½ lb. cans.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/products.asp?dept=73

September 4, 2008, 04:54 PM	#1
Smoke & Recoil Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: East shore of Lake Michigan. Posts: 714	Bullet Lube Gathering Opinions What is your favorite lube for real black powder and black powder substitution. Example...38-40, 45 long colt etc.

September 4, 2008, 07:42 PM	#2
mikenbarb Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 1,111	In my percussion and flintlock, I like the bore butter. It works great for me. Otherwise I think the ALOX should work good. __________________ Mike B. Gun control= Being able to hit your target. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pifinnercircle

September 5, 2008, 03:33 PM	#6
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	I've tried about everything for bullet lubes. From homemade to just about every thing on the market. I have found the Lee lube that you roll the bullets in is the best to prevent leading with soft leads in pistols in Rifles. Black powder is a bit differant. You need to leave the barrel moist. I still use Lee Lube on the bullets but I use a wad over the powder and a bit of homemade lube between the wad an the bullet. The lube I make, (got from the NRA many years ago), is a mixture of 1lb of para. wax, one lb of vasoline, and one tea spoon of RCBS case lube (or half a teaspoon of STP). I shoot lead bullets and black powder in my 1895 Browning 45-70 and my Remington Rolling Block in 44-90 Sharps Bottleneck. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

September 12, 2008, 12:55 AM	#9
Gewehr98 Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2000 Location: Token Creek, WI Posts: 4,067	Ditto on the above. The rule is non-petroleum lubes for BP - unless you want to clean tar and hard black fouling out of your barrel after just a couple of rounds. I made that mistake once and will never do so again. Over the last several years, I've been using beeswax and lard, or beeswax and Crisco, in my black powder cartridge loads that I run through my 32" Sharps. I make sure my bullets have several deep lube grooves, at least 4, then they go through my ancient Lyman #45 lubrisizer and get gooped up. I honestly believe you cannot have too much bullet lube when shooting BP. Why? You want to keep your BP fouling moist and soft, and if you run out of lube during the bullet's travel down the barrel you'll soon regret it. A good test to see if you're doing the right thing with your BP bullet lube is look at the muzzle for a "lube star". If it's there, you have enough. If not, you may be experiencing some fouling in the last inch or two of your barrel - and that's no fun at all. __________________ "Bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round... Neural Misfires

September 19, 2008, 01:14 AM	#13
REDTAIL Member Join Date: September 17, 2008 Location: UPSTATE NY Posts: 18	motor mica other than midway usa does any one know of a place to buy motor mica which is fine like powder, looks like graphite but its white, checked out every thing on the web sites, this stuff is produced either in India & China they must have a huge supply of Mica, but no where in the USA can you find a company that has it for sale other than midway usa, they sell it in 1lb containers for $23.00 I was looking for a place that would sell it in 5lb lots for much less than what midway is charging,this mica powder has manny fine uses for lub purposes, like for dusting your reloading dies and sprinkle it on your cast bullets etc. So if anyone on the forum knows where I can buy this motor mica i would appreciate your leads thanks, by the way Brownell's, Napa auto parts, home depot, lowes etc checked them all out no dice

September 5, 2008, 11:51 AM	#4
AlaskaMike Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Posts: 943	I don't shoot BP, but the most common bullet lube I hear about for it is SPG. Mike

September 5, 2008, 03:20 PM	#5
Ohio Rusty Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Location: Southeast Ohio Posts: 94	I use real bears oil rendered from bears fat. That has been the best I've found for my flintlock rifles the last few years. This is of course is lube for cloth patches and round ball. I used to have a T/C hawken in .50 caliber. Bore butter worked fine with it for Maxi-ball conicals, and it also worked well in my cap-n-ball revolvers. I lean toward doing things historically accurate, or as accurate as I can get. The old ways worked for them, and they still work well today. We sometimes have to find alternatives as some things are no longer available for use .... like sperm whale oil, or spermacetti candles, etc. Ohio Rusty ><>

September 5, 2008, 05:31 PM	#7
Smoke & Recoil Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: East shore of Lake Michigan. Posts: 714	[B]ALL OF YOUR POST[B]. All of these opinions are looking very interesting...Please keep them coming in, I appreciate each and every one . Smoke & Recoil

September 5, 2008, 09:09 PM	#8
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	I make my own out of beeswax and Crisco. You do not want to use any petroleum products in the bore or chambers of a bp gun unless you want to make a chore out of an otherwise easy clean.

September 12, 2008, 08:26 AM	#10
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	I use SPG on my own bullets. I recently bought some Montana Custom Casting with DGL, which looks awful similar. A friend mixed up a couple of different Internet Recipes. One, based on lanolin and beeswax, is ok. The other is pretty sad and is going mostly for casting flux.

September 12, 2008, 08:55 AM	#11
noelf2 Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: Stuart, VA Posts: 2,473	Various mixtures of bees wax, parrafin wax, and tallow (usually mutton or goat). I like to add a bit more bees wax if I know I'll be using hotter loads. I soak the melted mixture into felt patches that are under the round ball, or into the grease grooves of bullets. When I'm loading BP cartridges with round ball, I'll put some of the same lube over the ball at the edge of the cartridge mouth as well.

September 12, 2008, 03:50 PM	#12
Smoke & Recoil Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: East shore of Lake Michigan. Posts: 714	I am really fascinated by each and every reply on this thread thus far. I never thought that I would see so many great ideas, please keep shooting them in. Thank you, all.

September 19, 2008, 01:47 AM	#14
snuffy Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2001 Location: Oshkosh wi. Posts: 3,055	http://www.ballisticproducts.com/ They sell it for dusting shotshell wads, but it too is in ½ lb. cans. http://www.ballisticproducts.com/products.asp?dept=73 __________________ The more people I meet, the more I love my dog They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?